This is a picture of the writing tablets that the Greeks used to learn.
Athens
Girls Daily Life
Girls did not attend school only boys did. Girls did multiple things. Girls helped their mothers around their house. They were taught to cook, clean, spin thread, and weave cloth. Some of the girls learned ancient secret songs and dances for religious festivals. Girls at the age of fifteen got married. Their fathers chose their husbands if they were from a wealthy family. If the girl was from a poor family she often had more choice.
Boys Daily Life
Boys attended school. Boys at the age of six or seven were taught at home by male slaves or their mother. At the age of six to fourteen they went to school. The teachers taught them reading, writing, arithmetic, and literature. Since books were rare and expensive subjects were read aloud and they had to memorize everything. They used writing tablets. Coaches taught them gymnastics and wrestling to make their muscles stronger. They also learned music. Boys learned to play the lyre and sing. At the age of eighteen Athenian men began their military training. After their training wealthy men might study with private teachers. These teachers charged high fees. In their lessons they learned about debate and public speaking. Public speaking would help the young men learn how to become political leaders.
This is the Athenians daily life, but there were also the Spartans. The Spartans had a different daily life than the Athenians.
Spartan Daily Life
Spartans wanted to produce men and women that would be able to protect the city. So if a baby did not appear healthy and strong it was left to die on a hillside. When Spartan children were seven they were trained to fight. Girls received military training too. They learned wrestling, boxing, footracing, and gymnastics. Spartans did not consider reading and writing important but they learned it. The important thing to do was to be a brave soldier. "Spartan boys were taught to suffer any amount of physical pain without complaining." (History Alive Textbook) The boys marched barefooted and they were not fed well. The Spartan boys were encouraged to steal food as long as they were not caught. When Spartan men were at the age of twenty or so they were given a difficult test on fitness, military ability, and leadership skills. If the men passed they became full citizens and Spartan soldiers. They could continue to live in soldiers's barracks. They could not live with their wife and family until they were thirty years old. Their military service continued after that.
Social Structure
Athens
In Athens men and women were treated differently. Only men were considered citizens, women and slaves were not. Women and slaves had fewer rights than men. Women could not inherit their own money and have their own property. Athenian women could not vote or attend the assembly. A few important women were called priestesses. Athenian wives had separate rooms and they could not go out alone. They would also spin, weave, and supervise the slaves. Some slaves were trained to be craftsmen. The other slaves were trained to work in farms or factories, and others worked for the city as clerks. The unluckiest slaves worked in silver mines.
Social Structure
Sparta
Unlike Athens, Spartan women and men lived the same simple life. Women had many rights that other Greek women did not have. Some laws were that they were free to speak to their husband's friends. They could own their own their own property. Slaves, the helots, were people who had been conquered by the Spartans. Since the Spartans were afraid that the helots would revolt they treated them harshly. Helots had some rights. They could marry, they could pass their names down on to their children. They could even sell any extra crops if they gave their master his share. They could even buy their own freedom if they saved enough money.
Girls Daily Life
Girls did not attend school only boys did. Girls did multiple things. Girls helped their mothers around their house. They were taught to cook, clean, spin thread, and weave cloth. Some of the girls learned ancient secret songs and dances for religious festivals. Girls at the age of fifteen got married. Their fathers chose their husbands if they were from a wealthy family. If the girl was from a poor family she often had more choice.
Boys Daily Life
Boys attended school. Boys at the age of six or seven were taught at home by male slaves or their mother. At the age of six to fourteen they went to school. The teachers taught them reading, writing, arithmetic, and literature. Since books were rare and expensive subjects were read aloud and they had to memorize everything. They used writing tablets. Coaches taught them gymnastics and wrestling to make their muscles stronger. They also learned music. Boys learned to play the lyre and sing. At the age of eighteen Athenian men began their military training. After their training wealthy men might study with private teachers. These teachers charged high fees. In their lessons they learned about debate and public speaking. Public speaking would help the young men learn how to become political leaders.
This is the Athenians daily life, but there were also the Spartans. The Spartans had a different daily life than the Athenians.
Spartan Daily Life
Spartans wanted to produce men and women that would be able to protect the city. So if a baby did not appear healthy and strong it was left to die on a hillside. When Spartan children were seven they were trained to fight. Girls received military training too. They learned wrestling, boxing, footracing, and gymnastics. Spartans did not consider reading and writing important but they learned it. The important thing to do was to be a brave soldier. "Spartan boys were taught to suffer any amount of physical pain without complaining." (History Alive Textbook) The boys marched barefooted and they were not fed well. The Spartan boys were encouraged to steal food as long as they were not caught. When Spartan men were at the age of twenty or so they were given a difficult test on fitness, military ability, and leadership skills. If the men passed they became full citizens and Spartan soldiers. They could continue to live in soldiers's barracks. They could not live with their wife and family until they were thirty years old. Their military service continued after that.
Social Structure
Athens
In Athens men and women were treated differently. Only men were considered citizens, women and slaves were not. Women and slaves had fewer rights than men. Women could not inherit their own money and have their own property. Athenian women could not vote or attend the assembly. A few important women were called priestesses. Athenian wives had separate rooms and they could not go out alone. They would also spin, weave, and supervise the slaves. Some slaves were trained to be craftsmen. The other slaves were trained to work in farms or factories, and others worked for the city as clerks. The unluckiest slaves worked in silver mines.
Social Structure
Sparta
Unlike Athens, Spartan women and men lived the same simple life. Women had many rights that other Greek women did not have. Some laws were that they were free to speak to their husband's friends. They could own their own their own property. Slaves, the helots, were people who had been conquered by the Spartans. Since the Spartans were afraid that the helots would revolt they treated them harshly. Helots had some rights. They could marry, they could pass their names down on to their children. They could even sell any extra crops if they gave their master his share. They could even buy their own freedom if they saved enough money.